


Wallflowers

by orphan_account



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: ADHD, ADHD Character, Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Body Dysphoria, British Sign Language, Bullying, Cigarettes, Dave | Technoblade and Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, Depression, Dysphoria, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Foster Care, Gender Dysphoria, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Internalized Transphobia, Mutism, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Protective Technoblade, Protective Wilbur Soot, References to Depression, Sad TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Selectively Mute Technoblade, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Sensory Processing Disorder, Sign Language, Social Anxiety, Social Worker Niki, Stimming, Stims, Technoblade has ADHD, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit Friendship, TommyInnit Angst (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit Misses Toby Smith | Tubbo, Tommyinnit needs a hug, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trans Wilbur Soot, Underage Smoking, Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, Wilbur Soot smokes cigarettes, mute character, selective mutism, tommy has adhd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27789547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Another day, another foster home. That's all this was to Tommy. It wouldn't be long before he would be waiting on the front porch for Miss Niki to come pick him up again and take him back to the group home, but maybe this time it'd be different.
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Phil Watson, Dave | Technoblade & TommyInnit, Dave | Technoblade & TommyInnit & Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson, Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot, Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson, Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 38
Kudos: 835





	Wallflowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's first day (night) with his new family, introductions don't go as planned.

Tommy fidgeted in the passenger seat of the small silver sedan, he watched as a light dusting of snow fell to the ground slowly, it was nice to see something so serene and peaceful when in reality he knew his life could very much take a turn for the worst in about 5 minutes. 

Miss Niki, Tommy's social worker, seemed to catch on to the tense atmosphere that Tommy was putting off, he could almost feel her gaze on him, 

"They're a good family, you know." She reminded him, trying to ease the tension.

"Everyone says that. I don't like being so in the dark, this is supposed to be my new family and I don't even know that much about them." Tommy huffed, 

"Well, we're about 4 minutes out and I'm sure you can ask all the questions you have when we get there, but there's one father and two kids, both were in the system and have been adopted. We've never gotten any complaints about this household and I think it'll a good place for you." Niki reassured. Tommy shifted uneasily in his seat, Niki picked up on this too, 

"Want to go through a quick breathing exercise?" She offered, 

Tommy sighed, "No, just a little nervous s'all."

"You have every right to feel that way. The foster system can be a scary and stressful place, and you definitely haven't gotten dealt the best hand of cards, but I promise this will be a good home for you." She said with a small smile. Tommy tried his best to just believe her and to relax into the seat, but the tension in his shoulders never eased away as he hoped she was right. 

As they pulled into the driveway of what was soon to be Tommy's new foster home, he couldn't help but notice how nice it was. He's seen his fair share of foster homes, but not only was this one in a nice part of town, it looked welcoming and homey, like something you'd see in one of those interior decorating magazines. 

In the middle of the plot of land there was a fairly large two story house, the sides were done up with clean white paneling and were accented with bricks. The driveway was paved, not cracked, and lined with flowers and small shrubbery, There was a large tree in the front yard too, it was probably oak but Tommy didn't know nor did he really care that much. On one of the lower hanging branches there was a tire swing that was slowly being covered in a light dusting of snowflakes. There was a porch light that had been left on that was softly illuminating the surrounding area. This place looked like a home, and it almost made Tommy uncomfortable. Was this a front for something else, was the neat and tidy exterior hiding a horrible and abusive family on the inside? He knew it was probably the anxiety talking, but he couldn't help but listen. 

Niki chuckled at him, "It's a nice house, isn't it?" She must've caught him starring. As she made a move to undo her seatbelt, she noticed that Tommy didn't. 

"I know you're nervous, and like I said, you have every right to be, but this will be good for you. Give them a month and if it's still not working out, I'll take you back and we'll find you a new place, but right now we have to go meet your new family."

Tommy sighed, but got out of the small car nonetheless. He opened the door to the backseat and pulled out a red bookbag, everything inside of it was all he had. 

Niki walked up to the door and knocked as Tommy stood slightly behind her. 

The door opened to reveal a tall blonde man with one of the warmest smiles Tommy had ever seen. The man shook Niki's hand and then turned to him, 

"You must be Tommy," he smiled, "I'm so glad you're here." Tommy didn't respond, he just uncomfortable shifted his wait back and forth. The man ushered both of them in and led them into a cozy living room. 

"I guess we can start of with introductions, so, Hello Tommy, I'm Phil Watson. I've got two other boys, both a little older than you, but I think you'll all get along great," Phil started, "There's Techno, he'd the oldest, he's 17. He's a bit of a nerd so if you need a study buddy for schoolwork or anything, he's your guy. He also likes playing video games and I'm sure he'd let you join in if you asked. He seems intimidating at first, but I promise he's actually a big softie. Then there's Wilbur, he's quite mischievous, so if you have any problems with him, just let me know and I'll take care of it. He's 16, he plays a lot of music and he's pretty good at it to, I think you'll mesh right in with them." Wow, that was a lot to take in, but Tommy couldn't help but wish he had someone who'd talk about him and look as proud as Phil did while talking about his boys. 

"Um, I'm Thomas, or Tommy, I'm 15..." Tommy racked his brain trying to thin of other facts about himself, like what he enjoyed doing or if he had any hobbies, but he couldn't think of any so he just sat there, looking down at his hands.4

"Well you can go off and explore the house if you'd like, or you could go get settled into your room. Yours is down the hall and up the stairs, second door to your left. You'll be next to Wilbur's room, you can visit him if you'd like, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. You two have a shared bathroom so I hope that's okay with you, and Techno's is across the hall from you, but he's probably studying or taking a nap right now so I wouldn't suggest going in there, he'll pop into your room when he's ready. There's a different bathroom if you don't want to share one with Wilbur, it's the only door in the hall at the bottom of the stairs." Phil said, Tommy knew Phil was trying to get him out of the room so they could have a _'grown up talk'_ but he appreciated the fact that Phil just didn't outright tell him to leave, "I can help you bring in any other bags if you've got them in your car."

"This is my only bag." Tommy said, not liking how small his voice sounded. 

Phil made a face of displeasure, "Well that just won't do. Tomorrow we'll go shopping if you feel up to it," He suggested, Tommy liked that he was given an option to opt out if he needed to, it was almost like his own emotions were being taken into account. Tommy nodded, picked up his bag, and made his way to his room. 

The hall at the bottom of the stairs wasn't even really a "hallway". It was only long enough to have the one door to the side, which must be the bathroom. As Tommy climbed the stairs, he could hear soft strumming coming from the room that was next to his, he debated stopping to listen but he didn't know how the other boy would react and he didn't want to invade Wilbur's privacy before he even knew Tommy's name. 

He pushed the door to his new room open. It was weird to have a room all to himself. In the left corner of the room was a bed with a blue and grey striped comforter, next to the bed was a little side table with a lamp and a small unopened box of tissues. In the middle of the room but against the farthest wall, there was a desk that sat under a window, the curtains on either side of it were a sheer light grey color and the desk was natural wood. On the other side of the room there was dresser, made of the same wood as the desk, or at least the same color. Tommy decided it was time to unpack. He opened his bag and took out the two shirts, three pairs of pants, and one hoodie that he had and put them into random drawers in the dresser. Next was his blanket, it was an old red and black plaid throw blanket that definitely looked _'well loved'_ but it was one of the few things Tommy has had his whole life, so he was allowed to keep it. He threw it over top of the comforter. Embarrassingly enough, he also has a stuffed animal. It was a puppy, with a little white ribbon tied around his neck. He'd hide it from Techno and Wilbur for now, but he wouldn't be able to sleep without it, so he shoved it under his pillow. The last thing in the bag was wrapped in an old hand towel. It was a picture frame, and inside of it was a picture of two young boys smiling with big toothy grins, one was wearing a red and white t shirt while the other was wearing a dark green sweater. The boys had their arms wrapped around each other and looked as though they didn't a care in the whole world. They looked happy. 

Tommy missed both boys in the picture. He missed Toby. They had gone through so many different foster families together they were practically brothers. Until a family came in, wanting to foster an older boy, but they only had room for one. Tommy had already been labelled as a _'problem child'_ and _'difficult to work with'_ and just like that, Toby was gone. They had gone through so much together and it was over in a blink, and Tommy hadn't seen or heard from Toby in about a year. Tommy missed the other boy in the picture too. Sure, it was himself, but it didn't feel like _him._ The boy in the picture looked happy, and it had been a while since Tommy had felt truly happy. He missed being so carefree, but those days were over and that was something he'd just have to accept and move on with. 

He sat the picture frame on the desk, tilting it slightly to get the perfect angle, and stood back to admire his new room. There wasn't much, but it was still his. Tommy decided he didn't want to explore the house, but instead make his way back to the living room and just hope they were done talking,

As he neared the room, he concluded they were, in fact, not done having their _'grown up talk'_ . So, he sat down on the floor next to the bathroom, far enough to be out of sight from the living room but close enough to be able to hear their conversation, 

_"Yeah, Tommy can get very anxious at times, but it's best to just wait it out with him." Niki spoke,_

_"Wilbur has some pretty bad anxiety too, so I've got some experience with dealing with panic attacks and anxiety attacks if that's something he struggles with," Phil responded,_

_"That's definitely good, but in the 11 years I've known Tommy, I've only ever seen him have one panic attack, I'm not saying they haven't happened when I haven't been there, but I only have seen the one, and it got pretty rough. There was screaming and kicking and he wouldn't let anyone touch him, it was really hard to watch. It ended up being so bad the on-site psychiatrist at the group home thought it was less of a panic attack and more of a sensory overload kind of thing and wanted to get him tested for sensory processing disorder, we are almost positive he's got it with how he reacts to certain situations." Niki said,_

_"Do you have some examples? Techno, my oldest, he's got sensory processing disorder as well so that's something I'd definitely be able to work with" Phil asked,_

_"Of course! To start, he's got some pretty had attachment issues. Then, we noticed he stims a lot, obviously you'd know what that means. He likes to bounce on his toes when he stressed, it makes his walk look a little funny, when we first noticed it, some of the other workers at the group home tried to get him to stop walking like that and if you force it, he just gets really irritated at everything. He flaps his hands when he gets really excited about things, too. He hasn't done it recently at least that I've heard, but when he was younger, when he was getting really overwhelmed he'd start humming. Not humming as in humming a song, just humming as in the noise, but that's definitely an indicator he's getting a little overwhelmed. We definitely would've gotten him a diagnosis but we never got around to it with how much be bounces from place to place." Niki explained,_

_"Yeah, sounds quite similar to Techno. Can I ask why he's bounced around so much?"_

_"Of course you can, so he's had a few families that weren't able to financially support having another child like they thought they could, he struggles sometimes in school, academically and behaviorally, and there were two families that didn't want to put up with that. There was a household that ended up being really abusive. And the most recent home he was in is not allowed to have foster kids anymore because they were just trying to get the monthly check, which goes up with the amount of kids you foster." Niki said sadly._

_"Hopefully this will be his forever home, I can't see a reason why we'd send him back. Both Wilbur and Techno had their issues when they were first settling in, but we worked it out. Speaking of that, both of my other boys go to therapy, well, Techno's at a really good spot right now so we're going to take a break and then go back if he needs it, but if that's something you think he'd benefit from, I could get him scheduled."_

_Niki thought to herself for a moment, "I don't think it'd hurt, but he's pretty against taking medicine. He had a really bad time with a medication for hyperactivity a few years ago and refuses to be on anything, but I don't think it would be a bad idea. You'll see pretty soon he's very emotionally closed off and shy, but once he warms up to you, you'll wish he had a mute button." Tommy could hear the smile in Niki's voice. The was Phil seemed so accepting of everything and so willing to take on any challenge Tommy brought to him was definitely reassuring, maybe Niki was right when she said this would be good for him._

Tommy knew this would be a good time for him to come out and rejoin the party so he stood up and straightened out his clothes, and slowly walked back into the living room.

"Hey there, Tommy! Did you get everything unpacked alright? I know the room's small, so we can get you more shelves at the store tomorrow if need be," Phil asked, 

"I don't think I'll need any shelves, I didn't have too much."

"Have you met Wilbur or Techno yet?" Phil asked, 

"No, not yet." Tommy responded, 

Niki stood up, smiling at Phil and Tommy, "Well, I think this is a good time for me to go. Phil, you should everything you might need in the folder, allergies, notes, the such, but don't hesitate to call me if you need to. And Tommy, as horrible at this sounds, I hope I don't have to see you again." Niki spoke, Tommy couldn't help but crack a small smile nd she went over and hugged him, and with that she was out the door. Tommy starred at the door for a few seconds before turning back to Phil, 

"You feel up to meeting your new brothers tonight?" Phil asked, 

"Yeah, I think so." Tommy nodded.

The first brother they met was Techno, he was sitting in a dark room, all the lights were off other than the computer screen that was illuminating his face. Tommy noted the long pink hair that the boy sported,

"Hey Tech, Tommy's here, you feel up for introducing yourself?" Phil asked, Techno's face was stone cold and emotionless and he looked Tommy up and down before shaking his head no and turning back to the computer screen, Phil said something along the lines of _'That's alright, try not to stay up too late, we're gonna gonna shopping in the morning and I'd like to leave before 2 pm.'_ To which Techno groaned. Phil shut Techno's door, 

"Don't feel too offended about him not wanting to talk, he's got sensory processing disorder and selective mutism. Sometimes talking is just too much, but we all know sign language, I'm sure he or Wilbur could teach it to you over time." Phil smiled as they made their way towards Wilbur's room. 

As Phil opened the door, they could see Wilbur passed out on his stomach on the bed, a soft snore could also be heard in the quiet room. Phil sigh and flicked the light switch off and shut the door.

"Well that wasn't the best first impressions of your brothers," Phil said with a chuckle, "I know it's getting late, but do you need to get any food in you before you're off to bed?" Phil asked,

Tommy took a second to access if he was hungry or not. He could go for a snack, but he decided it wouldn't be worth it, "No I'm alright," He said, plopping down in the bed. Phil smiled but didn't leave, instead he sat at the foot of the bed. 

"Let's have a quick chat before you get too tired, don't worry it's nothing bad," Phil said easing any anxieties that could come with his original statement, "I just want to go over some rules and then we can talk about your boundaries so I can know how to help you the best I can." Phil said, Tommy waited for him to continue, 

"Okay, lets start with some rules, they might seem kid of dumb and obvious but you never know what someone needs explained to them so if you need me to elaborate on something, just ask, 

1\. Don't be afraid to ask for help, whether it's reaching something on the top shelf or something you're dealing with mentally, waiting it out or trying to deal with it yourself can make it so much harder than it needs to be, even if everything works out in the end. 

2\. Keep your hands to yourself unless it's for something like a hug or a high five. 

3\. Inside voices, Techno's been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder and sometimes loud noises can be overwhelming. I know Niki had been talking to me about you having some sensory problems, so I'm sure that's something you understand, which makes the next one very important for you to understand,

4\. It is absolutely okay to Stim-" 

"What's stimming?" Tommy interrupted, needing some elaboration, 

"You know when you bounce on your toes, or you flap you hands when you get really excited, or when you hum when you're getting stressed? That's stimming, it's something your body does to help you process your emotions and it's not something to be ashamed up nor is it something you should control. If you've got some wiggles that you need to let out, let them out. If you're getting stressed and you need to hum, go for it. If it helps you and it doesn't hurt you, there's no problem with it. But we absolutely do not tolerate making fun of other people for their stims." Phil explained, Tommy liked that. There had been a few times when Tommy had gotten in trouble, even slapped on the wrist, for what his foster mother at the time called "happy hands" because he needed to learn how to have "quiet hands". Having the freedom to just let them out was something Tommy would definitely look forward to.

"The other rules are just things like, tell the truth, be respectful, and you don't have to eat with us at the table, but you still have to eat three meals a day. Wilbur used to have anxiety when eating in front of other people, so he'd eat in the living room while Techno and I ate in the dining room. Also, boundaries of other people in this house. Wilbur was born a female, but that does not make him any less of a man. He doesn't like talking about it and you're not allowed to ask what his name was before he changed it. He gets really insecure about his body sometimes, it's called dysphoria. If you see him getting really upset, come get me. Techno likes keeping his things the way he likes them, he likes his personal space and he's not a very touchy person, so try not go around hugging him or playing with his hair, it stresses him out." Phil finished, "Now let's talk about your boundaries."

Tommy thought for a second, "Can you give me an example?"

Phil nodded and smiled, "There are some boundaries that I think I just common sense, I won't go through any of your things unless you're doing something that's either hurting you or someone else, you have a right to your privacy. That's an example. Or, things that make you uncomfortable and you don't want people doing or being aware of words you don't like because they make you uncomfortable or bring back bad memories and being proactive and sharing them with the people you're around are boundaries" 

Words he didn't like... he could come up with some, "I don't like being told to shut up. I know I talk a lot sometimes, and it might be dumb, but it hurts a lot."

"There are no boundaries that are dumb, Tommy. I'll make sure I don't say that to you, and I'll tell the others not to say it either." Phil said, placing a comforting hand on his knee,

"I don't like when people get in my face and try to size me up, it makes me freak out sometimes," 

"I don't think that'll happen here, but thank you for letting me know, are there any others?"

Tommy racked his brain for any other things he'd be uncomfortable with as his eyes wandered to the picture frame sitting on his desk, Phil followed his gaze. As Tommy looked back at Phil, Phil was still looking at the picture, "Don't touch the picture." Tommy said, suddenly very serious,

"Alright, don't touch the picture, noted." Phil said,

"I don't know of anything else." Tommy said, 

"Well that's alright, we can figure out more as we go and I'll make sure everyone else knows about your boundaries." Phil reassured him, "We've got a big day tomorrow, so it's best you get some sleep soon." He leaned down to tuck Tommy in then switched off the lamp, "I'll get you up in the morning, but if you're awake before then, don't be afraid to just come downstairs. I'm sure some others will be down there, and hopefully you can get a better introduction than what you had tonight" Tommy nodded, lazily slipping a hand under his pillow to grab ahold of the stuffed puppy, but he could already feel himself falling asleep as he heard the sound of Phil quietly shutting the door.

Tommy thinks he's gonna like it here.


End file.
